mooth
voice did nothing to counteract the unpleasant grimace. Mark wondered if
he was really successful with the men at Shorncliffe.

"Reverend Father, Reverend Brother, and Brethren," said Brother Dominic,
"you can imagine that it is no easy matter for me to destroy with a few
words a house that in a small way I had a share in building up."

"The lion's share," interposed the Father Superior.

"You are too generous, Reverend Father," said Brother Dominic. "We could
have done very little at Sandgate if you had not worked so hard for us
throughout the length and breadth of England. And that is what
personally I do feel, Brethren," he continued in more emphatic tones. "I
do feel that the Reverend Father knows better than we what is the right
policy for us to adopt. I will not pretend that I shall be anything but
loath to leave Sandgate, but the future of the whole order depends on
the ability of brethren like myself," Brother Dominic paused for the
briefest instant to flash a quick glance at Brother Anselm, "to
recognize that our usefulness to the soldiers among whom we are proud
and happy to spend our lives is bounded by our usefulness to the Order
of St. George. I give my vote without hesitation in favour of closing
the Priory at Sandgate, and abandoning temporarily the work at
Shorncliffe Camp."

Nobody else spoke when Brother Dominic sat down, and everybody voted in
favour of the course of action proposed by the Father Superior.

Brother Dominic, in addition to his other work, had been editing _The
Dragon_, the monthly magazine of the Order, and it was now decided to
print this in future at the Abbey, some constant reader having presented
a fount of type. The opening of a printing-press involved housing room,
and it was decided to devote the old kitchens to this purpose, so that
new kitchens could be built, a desirable addition in view of the
increasing numbers in the Abbey and the likelihood of a further increase
presently.

Mark had not been touched by the abandonment of the Sandgate priory
until Brother Athanasius arrived. Brother Athanasius was a florid young
man with bright blue eyes, and so much pent-up energy as sometimes to
appear blustering. He lacked any kind of ability to hide his feelings,
and he was loud in his denunciation of the Chapter that abolished his
work. His criticisms were so loud, aggressive, and blatant, that he was
nearly ordered to retire from the Order altogether. However, the Father